This invention relates to a connector which establishes electric connection as a first connector to a second connector by a relative movement caused between a contact-holding insulator block of the first connector and a cover for the insulator block by a manual movement of the cover in a predetermined direction of connection of the first and the second connectors perpendicularly of the predetermined direction.
Connectors of this type are already known. In the manner which will later become clear with regard to a conventional connector of the type described, one and the other of the insulator block and the cover of the first connector are provided with an elongate slot and a protrusion which has a circular cylindrical shape and is slidably movable in the elongate slot. The insulator block rigidly holds a plurality of electric contacts. The second connector comprises a housing for removably receiving the cover of the first connector in the predetermined direction and a plurality of electric conductors within the housing in one-to-one correspondence to the electric contacts.
When it is desired to connect the first connector to the second connector, the cover is held by hand and is pushed into the housing. This manual movement of the cover causes the insulator block to move the electric contacts towards the electric conductors and to establish an electric connection between the electric contacts and the electric conductors.
In order so to cause the relative movement, the elongate slot is formed with a small angle formed relative to the predetermined direction. Merely for brevity of the description, it will be presumed for the time being that the elongate slot is formed in the cover with the protrusion protruded outwardly from the insulator block. Usually, the cover is provided with two elongate slots along each inner face of the cover and consequently four elongate slots in total. Accordingly, the insulator block has four protrusions.
Despite this number of pairs of the elongate slots and the protrusions, the insulator block is unavoidably subjected to a rotational movement within the cover. This is particularly the case while the cover is pushed into and pulled out of the housing. Such a rotational movement makes it impossible to connect the first connector to the second connector. Even if it were possible to establish the electric connection, the electric contacts and/or the electric conductors may be damaged. The electric contacts and/or the electric conductors are liable to damages also on disconnecting the first connector from the second connector with the electric connection disestablished.
Furthermore, the relative movement is appreciably free. As a consequence, the insulator block is too much readily movable between a first and a second position at which the electric contacts are brought out of and into electric connection from and to the electric conductors. If the insulator block is put in the second position before the first connector is brought into touch with the second connector, it is next to impossible to connect the first connector to the second connector. The cover must therefore be pushed into the housing with the insulator block kept additionally by hand in the first position and with the hand left from the insulator block when the cover is placed in position in the housing. This is troublesome.
The relative movement may furthermore result in pull of the cover out of the housing with an objectionable angle formed between the predetermined direction and a direction of pull. This gives rise to application of an unnatural force to the electric contacts before the electric contacts are disengaged from the electric conductors.
In order to obviate the trouble experienced on connecting the first connector to the second connector and the unnatural force applied to the electric contacts on disconnecting the first connector from the second connector, a seemingly improved connector has been proposed with a coil spring used to urge the insulator block towards the first position within the cover. In this event, a mechanism is indispensable to force the insulator block towards the second position when the cover is positioned almost in place within the housing. This necessitates a complicated design.
The cover is often pushed into the housing obliquely relative to the predetermined direction. Connection of the first connector to the second connector is again impossible. The electric contacts and/or the electric conductors may be damaged.
The cover may intentionally or unintentionally be moved relative to the insulator block in a direction of push to place the insulator block in the second position while the first connector is left alone without being connected to the second connector. In such an event, it is impossible to connect the first connector actually to the second connector. The electric contacts and/or the electric conductors may again be damaged.